yathā cēcchati saumitrē
tathā vahatu rākṣasaḥ ।
ayamēva hi naḥ panthā
yēna yāti niṡācaraḥ ॥
Knowing his intentions, Rāma said to Lakshmaṇa:
'O Sowmitri, let this Rākshasa, this night-rover,
nicely carry us in this direction as he likes;
this, anyway, is the direction we want to go!' Rāma has a lighter side to his personality, though the storyline does not offer much occasion for its expression. We saw it previously at the time of giving away cows to a Brāhmaṇa (2.32.35). Now, we see it in this Ṡlōka. What he says here is in jest. Would he really need a free ride? Would he go off leaving Seetā behind?
3.3.24 ஸ து ஸ்வபலவீர்யேண
ஸமுத்க்ஷிப்ய நிஸாசர: ।
பாலாவிவ ஸ்கந்தகதௌ
சகாராதிபலோத்தத: ॥
sa tu svabalavīryēṇa
samutkṣipya niṡācaraḥ ।
bālāviva skandhagatau
cakārātibalōddhataḥ ॥
And that night-rover, exulting in his overweening strength,
lifted them off the ground and put them on his shoulders
as if they were two little children.
3.3.25 தாவாரோப்ய தத: ஸ்கந்தம்
ராகவௌ ரஜநீசர: ।
விராதோ விநதந்கோரம்
ஜகாமாபிமுகோ வநம் ॥
tāvārōpya tataḥ skandhaṃ
rāghavau rajanīcaraḥ ।
virādhō vinadanghōraṃ
jagāmābhimukhō vanam ॥
Then, having put the scions of Raghu dynasty on his shoulders,
Virādha, the night-rover, let off a dreadful whoop,
and started walking towards the Vana.
3.3.26 வநம் மஹாமேகநிபம் ப்ரவிஷ்டோ
த்ருமைர்மஹத்பிர்விவிதைருபேதம் ।
நாநாவிதை: பக்ஷிகுலைர்விசித்ரம்
ஸிவாயுதம் வ்யாலம்ருகைர்விகீர்ணம் ॥
vanaṃ mahāmēghanibhaṃ praviṣṭō
drumairmahadbhirvividhairupētam ।
nānāvidhaiḥ pakṣikulairvicitraṃ
ṡivāyutaṃ vyālamṛgairvikīrṇam ॥
He entered the forest,
which was like a huge cloud,
filled with various kinds of giant trees,
resplendent with flocks of many kinds of birds
and teeming with jackals and wild beasts.
இத்யார்ஷே வால்மீகீயே
ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே ஆதிகாவ்யே
அரண்யகாண்டே த்ருதீயஸ்ஸர்க: ॥
ityārṣē vālmīkīyē
ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē ādikāvyē
araṇyakāṇḍē tṛtīyassargaḥ ॥
Thus concludes the third Sarga
in Araṇya Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Maharshi Vālmeeki.